Alexander on Newest Obamacare Delay: “No Train Wreck Has Ever Had This Many Warning Signs”

Says “avalanche of last-minute delays should make every American anxious” about quality, security of Obamacare exchanges

KINGSPORT, Tenn., August 28—The senior Republican on the U.S. Senate health committee released the following statement today on the administration’s delay until mid-September in signing final agreements with insurance plans to be sold on the health insurance exchanges on October 1:

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R. Tenn) said: "I've been warning that a train wreck is coming with this law, but the truth is that no train wreck has ever had this many warning signs. The avalanche of last-minute delays should make every American anxious about the quality of the health care they'll be able to purchase in October and the security of the information they'll have to provide—proving again that this law must be repealed so that we can pass step-by-step reforms that transform the health care delivery system by putting patients in charge, giving them more choices, and reducing the cost of health care so that more people can afford it."

Alexander recently urged the White House to make public all data they have collected on health insurance premium prices in the exchanges. The administration has data from 34 states, but has highlighted the figures for just 11 states. “Delaying the release of premium information until September will only serve to limit the amount of time individuals and families have to budget for the substantially higher insurance costs many will face,” Alexander said in the letter sent with senior Republicans on the U.S. Senate and House health policy committees and subcommittees.